Light heat exchangers for use in nuclear energy installations



Aug. 14, 1962 A. HUET 3,049,107

LIGHT HEAT EXCHANGERS FOR USE IN NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTALLATIONS Filed Dec. 9, 1957 ZNVENTOR. ANDRE HUET his ATTORNEY.

Unite 3,049,107 LIGHT HEAT EXCHANGERS FOR USE IN NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTALLATIUNS Andr Huet, 48 Ave. du President Wilson, Paris, France Filed Dec. 9, H57, Ser. No. 701,597 Claims priority, application France Dec. 13, 1956 4 Claims. (Cl. 122-5ltl) The invention described herein covers improvements in a heat exchanger installation as described, for example, in prior patents of the applicant, and in particular, the installation of component parts of the heat exchangers proper, inside a vertical duct-jacket containing the same, such installation being executed by suspension means which connect, in series and directly one with another, all the exchanger elements which are finally attached to the top of the duct-jacket. Furthermore, the connection method for the fluid lines between the various elements of the whole is designed so as to give such lines great flexibility, permitting absorption of all possible expansion dilterences without increasing stress in the suspension and support elements.

Lastly, where several steam producing items, operating at diflerent pressures, are found within a duct-jacket, the water supply system and the superheated steam outlet system of such various items of equipment are laid out so that the inflow of water occurs at the bottom of the duct-jacket and steam outflow occurs at the top.

The following description, relating to the drawing attached, given as an example, will make it easier to understand the way in which the invention may be applied.

The single FIGURE of the drawing shows the installation or" the present invention in schematic, partially interrupted, vertical section.

Inside duct-jacket a, through which the hot fiuid runs from top to bottom in the direction of arrow A, there are provided two complete heat-exchanger elements identical in principle. One, HP, located at the top, high-pressure, and the other BP, at the bottom, low-pressure. Th se two heat-exchanger elements are separated on the drawing by the dot-dash broken line ZZ. Each high and low pressure heat exchanger includes from top to bottom the following: an economizer, an evaporator proper, and a superheater.

For the low pressure heat exchanger located at the bottom, water enters at b, runs through economizer c, and passes through d into the evaporator proper. The a line makes a large loop or spiral before entering the evaporator so that expansion variations of the line are absorbed by such spiral without increasing the stresses in the suspension arrangements, as described below. The BP evaporator consists of tubes 2 running around a center tank e. Steam obtained, after going into separator passes into header g of superheater h. Such header g also makes a wide spiral in the duct-jacket a so as to absorb expansion. Following superheating, the steam runs into the outlet header h which makes a wide loop to compensate for expansion and ends at the top of duct-jacket a running laterally along one or more of the water tubes of the high pressure evaporator i.

The HP high pressure exchanger consists likewise of an economizer j and water supply for such economizer j starts at header d of the bottom, lowapressure economizer which is, as shown on the figure, partially branched off to l, flowing out a duct-jacket a and running through a circulating pump, not shown, which discharges the water into line m which rises up through the center core c of economizer along water tank e of the low pressure evaporator and the center core k of superheater h, finally flowing out at the bottom portion of the economizer j. The water flows out of economizer 1' through header n which provides a wide compensatory expansion coil before ending up at tank i of the expanded evaporator at 1' expanded as was water tank e of the low pressure exchanger (so as to readily permit providing a large water surface), and the steam formed, after running through separator 0, passes into header 2 which makes a wide loop before going to superheater q in which there is provided a center core q The superheated high-pressure steam goes out at the top through pipe 1 which forms still another wide expansion compensation coil before running out of the duct-jacket.

As called for by the present invention, all the elements (economizers, evaporator-s, super-heaters) for the low as well as the high-pressure exchangers, are hung from each other inside duct-jacket a by means of rods or tie-rods or chains such as S, three in number, for example, which are at one end fastened to the cover of duct-jacket a and, at the other to the center core q of top high-pressure superheater q. A tierod t next connects: the bottom of core 1 to water tank i of the high-pressure evaporator, while another tie-rod it connects to core j and to core it, from which hangs tie-rod 1/ running to tank e, connected lastly by tie-rod w to core 0 of economizer c.

Coils making up the economizers and high and low pressure superheaters all have a center core which causes deviation of the flux of fluid A toward the coils, and serves, as we have just seen, for suspension of the whole.

It may be seen that with the layout adopted, all the elements inside the duct-jacket are arranged in series inside such duct and attached to the top of same, which assures easy installation. Lastly, the piping connecting the various elements to each other forms loops or coils inside the duct jacket so that expansion differences are absorbed and can no longer adversely affect the suspension of the whole.

Furthermore, the water supply assembly at the bottom and the steam outlet assembly at the top assure sirrrplification for the exterior piping system.

It goes without saying that changes in details may be made in applying this invention while staying within the framework thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A heat exchanger particularly adapted for nuclear energy installations, comprising, in combination, a cylindrical vertical elongated duct-jacket having a length substantially greater than its diameter and adapted to be traversed from one end to the other by hot fluid coming from a nuclear reactor, a plurality of vertically-spaced heat-exchange assemblies disposed interior-1y of said ductjacket and adapted to receive a second fluid flowing in at the bottom of the lowermost of said assemblies and flowing out at the top of the uppermost of said assemblies, said fluid being adapted to absorb the heat of the inflowing hot fluid, each of said assemblies consisting of a plurality of diflerent heat-exchange elements, conduit means interconnecting said plurality of elements for continuous flow of fluid therethrough, first suspending means connecting together by suspension said plurality of elements independently of said conduits, said elements being mutually suspended from each other, and second means for suspending the uppermost element from the upper portion of the duct-jacket, said first suspending means lying along the longitudinal axis of said duct-jacket and the longitudinal axis of symmetry of each of said elements substantially coinciding with said duct-jacket axis, said plurality of inter-suspended assemblies receiving suspension from said duct-jacket only at the uppermost portion thereof.

2. A heat exchanger particularly adapted for nuclear energy installations, comprising, in combination, a cylindrical vertical elongated duct-jacket having a length substantially greater than its diameter and adapted to be traversed from one end to the other by hot fluid coming from a nuclear reactor, a plurality of vertically-spaced heat-exchange assemblies disposed interiorly of said ductjacket and adapted to receive a second fluid flowing in at the bottom of the lowermost of said assemblies and flowing out at the top of the uppermost of said assemblies, said fluid being adapted to absorb the heat of the inflowing hot fluid, each of said assemblies consisting of a plurality of diiierent heat-exchange elements, conduit means interconnecting said plurality of elements for continuous flow of fluid therethrough, tie-rod means connecting together by suspension said plurality of elements independently or" said conduits, said elements being mutually suspended by said tie-rod means from the next superposed element, and means for suspending the uppermost element from the upper portion of the duct-jacket, said tie-rod means lying along the longitudinal axis of said duct-jacket and the longitudinal axis of symmetry of each of said elements substantially coinciding with said duct-jacket axis, said plurality of inter-suspended assemblies receiving suspension from said duct-jacket only at the uppermost portion thereof.

3. A heat exchanger particularly adapted for nuclear energy installations, comprising, in combination, a cylindrical vertical elongated duct-jacket having a length substantially greater than its diameter and adapted to be traversed from one end to the other by hot fluid coming from a nuclear reactor, said duct-jacket including an inlet and an outlet, a plurality of vertically-spaced heat-exchange assemblies disposed interiorly of said duct-jacket and adapted to receive a second fluid flowing in at the bottom of the lowermost of said assemblies and flowing out at the top of the uppermost of said assemblies, said fluid being adapted to absorb the heat of the inflowing hot fluid, each of said assemblies consisting of a plurality of different heat-exchange elements, said elements including at least one economizer having a core, at least one evaporator, and at least one superheater having a core connected in series, in each assembly a first tie-bar connecting an axial portion of the evaporator to the core of the economizer, and a second tie-bar connecting an axial portion of the evaporator to the core of the superheater, a third tie-bar connecting the core of each superheater other than the superheater of the uppermost of said assemblies to the core of the adjacent economizer, fourth tie-bars suspending the superheater of the uppermost of said assemblies from the top of the duct-jacket, water and steam conduits connecting the economizer to the evaporator, and connecting the evaporator to the superheater, and connecting the superheater to said outlet, said conduits forming wide coils inside the duct-jacket to absorb expansion, said tie-bars interconnecting said plurality of elements independently of said ducts, said first, second and third tie-bars lying along the longitudinal axis of said duct-jacket and the longitudinal axis of symmetry of each of said elements substantially coinciding with said duct-jacket axis, said plurality of inter-suspended assemblies receiving suspension from said duct-jacket only at the uppermost portion thereof.

4. A heat exchanger particularly adapted for nuclear energy installations, comprising, in combination, a cylindrical vertical elongated duct-jacket having a length substantially greater than its diameter and adapted to be traversed from one end to the other by hot fluid coming from a nuclear reactor, said duct-jacket including an inlet and an outlet, a plurality of vertically-spaced heat-exchange assemblies disposed interiorly of said duct-jacket and adapted to receive a second fluid flowing in at the bottom of the lowermost of said assemblies and flowing out at the top of the uppermost of said assemblies, said fluid being adapted to absorb the heat of the iii-flowing hot fluid, each of said assemblies consisting of a plurality of diflerent heat-exchange elements, said elements including at least one economizer having a core, at least one evaporator having a core, and at least one superheater having a core connecting in series, said economizer consisting of tubes coiled around said core, and said evaporator consisting of water tubes arranged spoke-fashion around said evaporator core, in each assembly a first tie-bar connecting an axial portion of the evaporator to the core of the economizer, a second tie-bar connecting an axial portion of the evaporator to the core of the superheater, a third tie-bar connecting the core of each superheater other than the superheater of the uppermost of said assemblies to the core of the adjacent economizer, fourth tie-bars suspending the superheater of the uppermost of said assemblies from the top of the duct-jacket, water and steam conduits connecting the economizer to the evaporator, and conmeeting the evaporator to the superheater, and connecting the superheater to said outlet, said conduits forming wide coils inside the duct-jacket to absorb expansion, said tiebars interconnecting said plurality of elements independently of said conduits, said first, second and third tie-bars lying along the longitudinal axis of said duct-jacket and the longitudinal axis of symmetry of each of said elements substantially coinciding with said duct-jacket axis, said plurality of inter-suspended assemblies receiving suspension from said duct-jacket only at the uppermost portion thereof.

References @ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,564,680 Kelly Dec. 8, 1925 1,959,286 Grebe May 15, 1934 2,119,118 Sengstaken May 31, 1938 2,328,039 Toomey et al Aug. 31, 1943 2,508,247 Giaugue May 16, 1950 2,547,589 Marshall Apr. 3, 1951 2,554,130 Strunk May 22, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 762,416 Germany May 15, 1951 1,054,671 France Oct. 7, 1953 

